House approves temporary fee hike and $20 million cap to shore up underground storage tank fund

The Utah House on Feb. 12 approved Senate Bill 85, a measure to raise the fee on underground storage tanks temporarily to shore up a shrinking remediation fund and set guardrails for future adjustments. Sponsor said the fee increase would raise the charge to a half-cent and place an upper cap of $20,000,000 on the fund; if the cap is reached the fee would automatically lower and the Legislature would have to act again if the fund later fell below a trigger level.

Sponsor (floor remarks) said the fund has been ‘‘depleting’’ and needs replenishment to pay claims statewide; during questioning the sponsor estimated about $11,000,000 remains in the fund. Supporters said the measure balances an immediate need for claims coverage with a statutory cap to stop runaway growth; opponents pressed about how often the fee would be adjusted and legislative oversight. No amendments altering the cap were adopted on the floor.

Voting opened after floor debate and the House recorded 44 yes votes and 24 no votes, and the bill was returned for enrolling and signatures before transmission back to the Senate. The bill’s sponsor characterized the measure as a temporary step to protect claimants while preserving the Legislature’s authority to revisit fees if the fund needs further replenishment.

Next steps: The bill will be enrolled and returned to the Senate for the president’s signature and any necessary follow-up in committee if the Legislature must revisit fee levels.